Truro

From Freepedia

This article is about the city in the United Kingdom. For other uses, see Truro (disambiguation)

Image:Truro - Cornwall dot.png Image:Stret yn Truru.jpg Truro is the administrative centre of Cornwall, and the only city in the county, as well as being the most southerly city in the UK. It is well known for Truro Cathedral, finished in 1910. The city is also the location of the Royal Cornwall Museum and Cornwall County Council's Grade II listed New County Hall. It has a population of 20,000.

Some famous former inhabitants of Truro include Richard Lander, an African explorer after whom a Secondary school is now named; Edward Boscawen, an Admiral in the 18th century navy active in the Caribbean and Mediterranean; and Humphrey Davy, inventor of the mining safety lamp.

History

There has been a settlement in the vicinity since the Iron Age at least as shown by the remains at Carvossa. There was a Norman Castle on the former cattle market site which is now the site of the award winning Law Courts building.

Truro rose to prominance as a market town and port during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. However with the decline of the fishing and tin mining industries, Truro's role has shifted to being the cultural and commercial capital of Cornwall. Truro's present buildings are mostly Georgian era or later and derive from its position as a stannary town during the height of mining in West Cornwall.

Geography

Truro is located in the centre of Cornwall on the confluence of the rivers Kenwyn and Allen. The name Truro is thought to mean 'three rivers' in reference to the Kenwyn and the Allen (which splits and reforms for a short distance, giving the appearence of three rivers). Truro has experienced problems with flooding in the past, in particular 1988 saw two '100 year' floods. These problems arose due to high rain fall swelling the rivers and a spring tide in the River Fal. More recently flood defenses have been constructed, including an emergency dam and a tidal barrier, to prevent future problems.

Truro is twinned with Morlaix in Brittany, Northern France, and Boppard in Germany.

Educational institutions in Truro include Truro School, a public school founded in 1880.